In Truth
by Seraphina Greene
Summary: sequel to In Dreams. Phineas was in love with Ferb, and Ferb loved him back. Realizing she'd only come over for him in the past, she feels disconnected from them, until Ferb's sister, Aalina comes to visit. Maybe she can find love like that after all.
1. Blood Red Lips, Leaf Green Hair

In Truth

**Blood Red Lips, Leaf Green Hair**

Isabella watched her two gay best friends and sighed. Although Phineas and Ferb weren't constantly all touchy-feely, the way they looked at each other said it all. Isabella wished _she_ had something like that, but all those years she'd spent dreaming and obsessing over Phineas had left her without anyone, since she'd only had eyes for him.

Her eyes opened to the truth now, she almost felt out of place. She'd always come over to see the boys to be with Phineas, and now she only came out of habit and friendship.

Ferb's cell phone rang, drawing Isabella out of her moping. "Hello? Oh, hello Aalina." There were sounds coming out of the phone from the caller's end, but Isabella couldn't decipher them. "Really? I'll let them know." He hung up and turned to his step-brother—his lover—Phineas. "She'll be here in fifteen minutes."

Isabella looked at them strangely, and Phineas realized something. "Oh that's right Isabella, we never told you did we? Ferb's sister is coming to visit."

Ferb, the intuitive one, could decipher her reaction. _Why hadn't this sister been with them all these years?_ "When Cordaline and Father divorced, she claimed custody of Aalina." He explained simply. "Cordaline just now allowed her to visit us."

Isabella noticed how he talked of his birth mom. He referred to her by her first name in a way that was very unlike Ferb. It was rude, almost disrespectful, as if he had quite a grudge toward her.

The young lady in question drove up in a taxi not long after that, breaking what was about to become an awkward silence.

She walked up to the gate and slid through, carrying both the suitcases she had with her.

Ferb ran up to her, picked her up, and spun her around, forcing her to drop her luggage. She laughed gleefully, and when he set her down she didn't bother to attempt to fix her hair. She teased him, "Still 'Mr. Quiet'?"

"Still a lesbian?" he jeered in the same tone.

She laughed again, sweet and merry, then directed her attention to the other individuals in the yard.

"My step-brother and lover, Phineas," He said. The red-haired young man came up to him politely, and Ferb surprised him by placing his arm around his waist rather possessively. "and our best friend and girl from across the street, Isabella." The others hadn't arrived yet.

Isabella's eyes sparkled in Aalina's direction at the introduction. As soon as she had walked—no, sauntered was more appropriate—in, her heart had been acting strangely. It was pounding fast and hard, as if she'd been running a mile or riding a rollercoaster.

Isabella was drawn to her very image. Her hair too, was leaf green. "Genetic defect," they explained later. Her hair, on the other hand, flowed freely down her back, giving her an ethereal quality. Her eyes, on the other hand, were a deep mesmerizing violet, but she still had that adorable nose of her brother, long and skinny with a rounded tip. Her lips, quick to sneer and slow to smile, were painted blood red, proving that she was indeed, unmistakenly female to all, which was why Isabella was so shocked by her strange _attraction_ to her.

_She didn't like girls, did she? _Well, no one could be certain, since she'd only been pining after Phineas all those years. The next thought she had was, _Could Phineas have been a fluke? No,_ she reasoned with herself. _It couldn't have been. Maybe it was like Ferb's situation,_ she reasoned. _He'd always liked girls, but had fallen head over heels in love with Phineas. Who says she can't be attracted to Aalina?_

No one did, which was part of the problem.

Aalina, on the other hand, had known all her life that she'd been attracted to the same gender, but she'd never gone for Isabella's type.

But that was the difference. Even though Isabella clearly _had_ a type, she was forcefully squeezed into such a tiny space, which made her all that more intriguing of an individual in her eyes.

Isabella tried to stay calm and managed to utter a hello. A similar awkward, yet hopeful one was returned from Aalina, and the four of them sat down on the grass, ready for an adventure. And they sure were about to have one.


	2. Oblivious Boys, Oblivious Girls

**Oblivious Boys, Oblivious Girls**

Aalina, Phineas, and Ferb were all sitting at the table having a snack when Aalina turned to her brother and asked, "So, Isabella have a girlfriend?"

Phineas looked startled, and Ferb's unreadable expression returned. "Why do you assume that someone she'd want to engage romantically with would be female?" Was her brother's reply.

"Because my gaydar senses are tingling." She stated matter-of-factly.

"Evidently I don't have one, because I had no idea," Phineas finally said.

"Phin, don't take this the wrong way, but you're oblivious, so having a gaydar wouldn't help. You didn't know that Isabella _or_ I liked you . . . for _how_ long?"

"Good point." Phineas admitted to his lover.

"So, crush on you, huh? I'm listening."

"Initially, and for quite some time afterward. She still was when she made the call to Ferb asking him who he was in love with, and in the same call turned around and told him that I was in love with him."

"Wow, that pint-size powerhouse has quite the strong heart to withstand that."

"And more." Phineas said happily, caring about his dear friend Isabella even more now, knowing the struggle she'd been through better than most anybody.


	3. Want To Get To Know

**Want To Get To Know**

The next morning, the boys went to sit under the tree to plan the day's activity like they always did, and Isabella, as she'd become accustomed to, went to sit a ways away from them, glancing in their general direction occasionally but mostly looking down into her lap, her tears attempting to escape, even as she tried to deny their presence.

"Isabella?" Aalina's voice made the Mexican-Jewish young woman's heart skip a beat. She slowly looked up at the gorgeous natively-born British young woman who was looking down at her with concern.

"Hello, Aalina." She replied with sigh, and returned her gaze back into her lap.

Aalina—who hated to see such a beautiful young woman so sad—was determined to cheer her up. Sitting down cross-legged beside her, she put an arm around her shoulders in a friendly manner and forced Isabella to look into her eyes to meet her gaze.

"It might not be quite the same, but I know how you feel. I'll never have a connection with Phineas like my brother does, because he's known him for so much longer. I couldn't ever want him the way you dad, I'm as straight as a circle," Isabella giggled a little at that. "but he is my brother's love, and I haven't been able to get to know him."

Both glanced over in the boys' direction as they both went into the garage. When they looked back at each other, Isabella allowed the tears to finally fall, and Aalina could feel a few of her own trace wet and salty paths down her cheeks. Without realizing they were doing it, they both reached up and brushed away each other's tears.

Aalina smiled warmly despite the tears, and Isabella smiled weakly, realizing everything was going to be alright.

Looking into her eyes, Aalina spoke quietly and evenly, "All we have is now, Isabella. All I can do is hope that I can get to know him now." The raven-haired young woman gave her a grateful hug, and Aalina whispered into her ear daringly, a sneaky smile upon the green-haired one's face, "Phineas isn't the only one I'd like to get to know, if you know what I mean."

Isabella froze in shock, and Aalina took this as a chance to kiss her on both cheeks. Seeing the young woman's blush in response, she leaned in, watching—gauging—her reaction, she caused their lips to meet.

Neither closed their eyes. Isabella's widened out of surprise, and Aalina's seemed to sparkle, content at how this was going.

When Isabella smiled into the lips pressed against her own, Aalina began to lower them both to the ground, herself on the bottom, as she reached up to run her fingers through the cascading waterfall of black hair that surrounded her. Isabella rested her knees on both sides of Aalina's hips, and curled her arms around the young woman who lay beneath her so that her neck rested on top of them.

Isabella hesitated for only one reason. She, knowing herself as she did, was well aware that she had never been good at this sort of thing(if Phineas had been any indication), but the look on Aalina's face was something she couldn't resist.

With a look of determination and delight, she leaned in to kiss her neck, and on contact Aalina threw her head back on a moan, surrendering to the feelings within her.

Aalina's hands came to rest on Isabella's hips; digging her nails into the fabric of the pale green slacks she wore. Isabella gasped at the ferocity of her touch, and grinded her hips into hers, pulling her arms out from under her neck, running her fingers down Aalina's shoulders, torso, and waist, to where her blouse began to ride. She caressed the skin that lay there an slipped her fingers underneath. Then she slid her hands under as well, softly skimming her flesh until she rested her palms on the simply dark blue bra she wore beneath.

Releasing Isabella's hips, she laced her fingers through her hair once again and pulled her down for another fierce kiss.

Isabella's hands up Aalina's shirt; Aalina's fingers fisted in Isabella's hair; their lips fused and tongues dancing—was how the boy found them.

Phineas turned red and attempted to hid a slight giggle behind his hand, and Ferb only coughed, but there was a small knowing smile on his face.

Isabella crawled slowly off of Aalina and the two of them sat up, fixing their clothing, and Ferb began to explain what they were working on in the garage, breaking the sound coming awkward silence that was guaranteed to follow.

But there was evidence they couldn't escape from—the memories imprinted in all four of their minds, and the grass stains on the women's pants were truth enough.


	4. In Truth? In Love

**In Truth? In Love.**

Less than a week later, Isabella lay in her bed thinking about Aalina, unable to fall asleep. Not long ago, the two had officially began dating, and Isabella was having the time of her life.

She was laying wide awake because of the dream she'd just had, and in truth, she knew that she'd fallen in love with her.

Aalina, on the other hand, had known of her own love for Isabella for a while previously, having not told her for only one reason: the fear of rejection rested heavily with her.


	5. Change In Plans

**Change In Plans**

It wasn't until Aalina had decided to return to Britain that Isabella realized how this was going to end as it was. So she wrote a note, addressed it to Aalina, and as she was leaving the Flynn-Fletchers the afternoon of Aalina's departure, laid it in a spot where she knew she'd see it.

"Aalina, there's something I have to tell you.

Yours,

Isabella."

Aalina's suitcases were packed and she'd called a cab to pick her up already when she saw the note. Running outside, she found Isabella sitting in her front lawn, reading a book.

Dragging her to her feet, Aalina reeled her in for a passionate kiss. When they were both breathing heavily, Aalina asked, "So, what did you need to tell me?"

"I know this is horrible timing, because you're going away, but I have to tell you that I—" the rest of her words were drowned out by the cab's car horn, keeping Aalina clueless.

"I have to go now, my angel." Grabbing her and pulling her in for another kiss, she was too enthralled in the occasion that Aalina didn't see her slip a piece of paper inside her compact.

Isabella let the tears fall as she was driven away—public displays of emotions didn't matter to her anymore.

Aalina had been crying as well, and pulled out her compact to assess the situation quite a distance away from the house.

Then she noticed the second note. In perfectly clean, wonderfully neat, and honestly written penmanship, Isabella had only written five words. "I'm in love with you." But that was enough.

The taxi driver was surprised when she asked to go back, especially since she was quite a distance away.

"What, did you forget something?" he asked irritably.

"You could say that." Aalina replied, not caring to tell a man who was so busy being irritable to pay attention.

He sighed, but turned the car around none-the-less.

"I'll pay double for the trouble I caused you."

The taxi driver satisfied, they returned in less time than either had expected.


	6. Guess Leaving Wasn't The Best

**Guess Leaving Wasn't The Best**

When the taxi driver pulled up in front of the Flynn-Fletcher residence, Aalina got out, paid the driver, pulled out her luggage and set it on the Flynn-Fletcher porch, and then crossed the street to where the Garcia-Shapiro residence stood.

Isabella was sitting on her own porch, writing in her journal. As she looked closer, Aalina could see that her cheeks were stained with what remained of her tears, and her pages were fragile, covered with them as well.

When Isabella heard the sound of Aalina's heels on the concrete steps, she glanced up, recognized who it was, and broke down in tears again, dropping her journal onto the table beside her with a thump and looked into her lap again.

When Aalina sat down across from her on another white wicker chair, Isabella asked between sobs, "W-why did you h-have to come back, A-aalina? R-rejection from P-phineas was b-bad enough, and d-despite what th-they say, I kn-know it won't be easier the s-second time."

"Well, lucky for you Isa, you won't have to experience a second time." She replied, smiling warmly.

"Wh-what? B-but—" Isabella's head flew up and her gazed locked with Aalina's.

"Isabella Garcia-Shapiro, I've been in love with you for nearly as long as I've known you. I only left because I had thought you didn't feel the same, hoping you'd be better for it. She got up and took Isabella's hands, pulling her to her feet. "I guess I was wrong."

Tears still glimmered at the corners of her eyes, but she was beaming like she never had before.

"Well, aren't you going to invite me in?" Aalina continued.

"What about your flight home?"

"I cancelled it on my drive back. Besides, no place could be home without you."

"Truthfully? I wouldn't have it any other way."


End file.
